Review of Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: A value-added smartphone for everyone

Vinu Varughese Oommen

Technology Reporter

The budget smartphone market has become a competing platform for many brands because of the majority of users out there prefer to have a device with the features of a flagship device at an affordable price. After reviewing the impressive Xiaomi Mi5, we are confident that Xiaomi is capable of making great phones for the budget conscious users. Here comes the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. An affordable smartphone that packs impressive specifications under the hood that used to be seen only on a high-end device.

Design

While many mobile companies are trying to achieve the impossible, such as the thinnest smartphone, the design of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is very simplistic with an all-metal body with curved edges all over the device. For a budget smartphone, the Redmi Note 3 looks and feels quite premium without any fancy chiseled cuts. However, since the back of the device is metal, it can get slippery, so we suggest you to buy a grip case.

The volume buttons and power button on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 are placed on the top-right section of the device. The 3.5mm audio jack on the upper portion is accompanied by an IR blaster to control other devices such as a TV, and the MicroUSB is placed under the smartphone on the right-side.

On the front, you get the 5.5-inch IPS panel which operates in Full HD resolution. The brightness of the display is set at 403ppi with surprisingly good viewing angles. And accompanying the display beneath are the three capacitive buttons. The 5MP front-facing camera on the top features a bright F2 lens that should help for low-light selfies. Sitting next to the selfie snapper is the multi-color notification LED which should be very useful for alerting users.

I love the way how the metal body seamlessly flows in a curved fashion towards the back panel. The rear of the device features a large 16MP camera with an F2.0 lens, and beneath the optical lens lies the fingerprint scanner (similar to the Nexus 5X scanner position) that is able to recognize and unlock the device in a snap. There is also a speaker grill which is relatively loud enough.

Camera Quality

Speaking of the camera, we can say the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 smartphone is a direct competitor towards the likes of Oppo and other budget-valued brands. Xiaomi has punched in an F2.0 aperture lens for both the front 5MP selfie snapper, and the main 16MP camera shooter module. An F2.0 lens is capable of helping the image sensor to produce better low-light images, and we found the optical shooters to be quite decent with respect to image quality. It’s good to see that companies are willing to include a fast lens for their budget devices, unlike the big brands.

Performance

Let’s get some things clear. While most of the mobile processors available in the market are very capable of great performance, the only thing that takes a toll on the performance is the custom UI skin that companies create to distinguish themselves. The MIUI 8.0 custom UI skin of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 software isn’t that bad, but it does the job of running apps pretty well. That said, the smartphone possesses the 6-core Snapdragon 650 processor, joined with 3GB RAM which is very impressive for a budget device. Gaming on the device is pretty good for a smartphone with a budget status.

Please be noted that there are two versions of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3- one with 2GB RAM and 16GB built-in storage, and the other with 3GB RAM and 32GB inbuilt storage.

Battery

Another great plus point for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is the inclusion of a large 4050 mAh Li-Po battery onto the device. And I must say that the smartphone was able to last longer than I had anticipated before. With several uses such as browsing, photo shoots, IM chats and some YouTube streaming, I was able to get the device running until the end of the day, or perhaps until the next day. Idle state power consumption is also very low which lets the device stay on for a few days.

Pricing and Final Verdict

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 smartphone is priced at AED 619 in the UAE region. The smartphone has been launched alongside the flagship Xiaomi Mi5 smartphone. Budget users who are seeking for a smartphone that offers almost what a flagship does at half the cost can opt for the new Redmi Note 3.

For a device that holds bright cameras, a powerful CPU, and a simplistic youthful design, we think that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is a worthy consideration. The price of the device is one of the main aspects of the smartphone.

Details of Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has a low price but with a classy look, it is sure that Xiaomi has produced another low priced but quality product. It boasts a big display and also a bigger internal storage compared to their Note 2.

Specifications

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has a 5.5-inch display and a bigger internal storage of 32GB, still too small for you? You can add more storage using a microSD up to 256GB, and of course, it also comes with a dual SIM feature. It has 3GB of RAM which is good if you play some heavy gaming. And don’t forget to get started with the fingerprint scanner!

Performance

Since the Note 3 has an enormous storage, so you won’t have any problem putting tons of games in it. Asphalt 8 runs smoothly on this phone and even if you switch between playing and sending emails, you won’t experience a bit of a lag! The battery lasts for around 14 hours if you’re playing videos on a loop.

Design

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has a premium metal body which really looks neat, as usual, the IMUI looks like a mix of Android and iOS. Though it looks like a mix of both, the phone is still easy to use, if you want an even easier interface if you’re not tech savvy then use the phones lite mode.

Pricing and Offers

The best price of Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is AED 900, available at Souq.

Check out our deals section for best offers on Mobile Phones in Dubai, UAE.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has a low price but with a classy look, it is sure that Xiaomi has produced another low priced but quality product. It boasts a big display and also a bigger internal storage compared to their Note 2.

Specifications

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has a 5.5-inch display and a bigger internal storage of 32GB, still too small for you? You can add more storage using a microSD up to 256GB, and of course, it also comes with a dual SIM feature. It has 3GB of RAM which is good if you play some heavy gaming. And don’t forget to get started with the fingerprint scanner!

Performance

Since the Note 3 has an enormous storage, so you won’t have any problem putting tons of games in it. Asphalt 8 runs smoothly on this phone and even if you switch between playing and sending emails, you won’t experience a bit of a lag! The battery lasts for around 14 hours if you’re playing videos on a loop.

Design

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has a premium metal body which really looks neat, as usual, the IMUI looks like a mix of Android and iOS. Though it looks like a mix of both, the phone is still easy to use, if you want an even easier interface if you’re not tech savvy then use the phones lite mode.